The main production this fall at Tehran's Shar Theater was a piece that combined love, politics and Iranian cultural history. Hamid Amjad drew his characters in Thirteenth Night from the more conservative sector of what was a highly traditional era, the period immediately following WWI. Two well-to-do but miserly bazaar merchant families, the Yavar and the Beyg, have united their son, Kamran Mirza (Behrooz Baghali), and daughter Zarrineh (Parastoo Golestani), respectively, in a proxy marriage. So he can catch a glimpse of his wife in advance of their scheduled formal meeting, the goom has smuggled himself into the women's quarters. Unfortunately this evening Kamran Mirza must deliver a critical message to his fellow anarchists plotting to assassinate Ahmed Shaw.
Since he is masquerading as a woman and cannot extricate himself so easily, Zarrineh gets outfitted in men's clothing and sent out to fulfill the mission. She was successful, and with her return to the household came the most touching moment of the evening. By now the couple has fallen in love, and in a respite from the extended humorous goings on inside the house and on the street outside, the two enjoy a moment of intimacy. Zarrineh confesses that she had never been outside and has known the city only through others' description. Her adventure clearly transforms her self-image, and this seemed to resonate well with the audience.
This was an ambitious production with a large cast and a substantial unit set with numerous playing areas. The long script also packed in references to the first performances of Moliere in Iran and the introduction of French ormolu clocks and the familiar samovar. There were also some nice character parts among the townsfolk. Parizad Safe and Amir Jafaree were standouts. Given the broadly comic intent, gesturing was rather restrained under Amjad's direction. Unfortunately, much of the movement seemed to be motivated only by Reza Kianian's stark white, multi-level set. It forced much of the action upstage and compounded the communication difficulties between actors and audience that Amjad's rigorous "fourth-wall" concept posed.
Three on-stage musicians offered Farokh Zarin Kafsh's delightful score, but it was a complete miscalculation to have the actors regularly break into song given their untrained, mostly inaudible voices. On the plus side were Kianian's apparently historically-accurate costumes and fine performances by Parastoo Golestani, Amir Jafaree and especially Parizad Safe.
